Teammates

Today's blog was written by Erin Geraghty. Erin is a senior psychology major at Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching, a course taught by Play Like a Champion Founding Director Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.

Teams are a great model for the communities we will be a part of and the relationships we will form throughout our life. Teams highlight the importance of cooperation and hard work, and show us how to foster strong relationships and support networks. As a freshman on my high school’s varsity cross country team, I spent very little time running with my classmates. Instead, I found myself spending hours running and talking with older girls. At first, I was skeptical about being away from people my own age and I felt out-of-place, but a few girls in particular took me under their wings, made me feel welcomed, and taught me a lot.

 

The individuals who I found myself spending hours every day with became so much more than just my teammates. They allowed me be who I was and they affirmed that person. This loving and supportive community made me feel comfortable and allowed me to grow in confidence, as well as in my understanding of what true friendship and leadership looks like. They led me by example and made me feel like a part of a rare and wonderful tight-knit community. We shared our successes and disappointments and our ups and downs daily.

Far too many tragedies rocked my high school community during my time there, namely the death of four students by suicide. After another friend was taken from us far too early, I wanted to grab my running shoes and an iPod and just run by myself until I physically couldn’t anymore. I just wanted to run away from all the hurt, all the mess, all the problems. However, looking at my teammates, I knew it was my time to step up, to assume the caring position my friends had held for me in previous years and amidst similarly trying times, and to live up to what it meant to be a captain. So instead of driving home that day, I headed to practice to be with my teammates. We talked when we wanted to, we cried when we needed to, we sprinted up hills and screamed on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, trying to get it all out. It didn’t really matter what we did, it just mattered that we did it together.

all pictures courtesy of Erin Geraghty

My days of running on a formal team are over, but I still feel as the presence of my teammates when I run. I will always carry with me the lessons and values they taught me. When I feel overwhelmed or helpless, I drop everything, lace up my running shoes, and head out. Forest Gump wisely stated “Now, it used to be I ran to get where I was going. I never thought it would take me anywhere.” I couldn’t agree more. I started running with the hopes that I might make a few friends and get in shape for lacrosse, but I didn’t know that running would become an outlet for me, that it could renew me in a way that not much else can, and that it would teach me how to act as a “teammate” to friends, family, and all those I encounter throughout my life.  

Teaching Leadership

Today's blog post was written by Mark Egan.  Mark is a sophomore at Notre Dame majoring in Science Business.  Mark is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.  Mark is currently a coach intern at a local high school in South Bend, IN.

People sometimes make the argument that sports do not develop character, they reveal it.  Some say that leadership cannot be taught and that it is something you are either born with or not.  I believe that these ideas could not be any more false.  Everything that my life, experience, and classes have taught me proves the opposite.  In fact, I believe that sports are necessary for kids to develop character and leadership skills.  This semester, I am interning as an assistant coach for a local high school football team, and the following example of a technique used by the coaches of this team is perfect for making this point.

The coaches on this football team have been doing a special thing with their off-season strength and conditioning program.  The guys are broken up into 4 teams, and are constantly competing against each other’s teams, receiving and losing points for every single thing they do. However, despite this competition and the drive to improve for next season, the team also spends a hunk of practice discussing sportsmanship. A typical practice begins with a 20 minute talk on leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, work ethic, and many other important values. Only after the discussion do the guys warm up and hit the weight room for the competitive stations of practice. After the weight room, the coaches set the teams against each other for physical and agility challenges, and then post-practice stretching.Throughout practice, the coaches are supportive of the players while they work hard and have a good time, and this approach is mirrored by the rest of the team.

During the talks before practice, the guys are constantly reminded what it means to be a good leader.  They are told that they all can be good leaders on the team and are taught that leadership is the process of influencing others to maximize their efforts in achieving a common goal.  During the workouts, they are quickly forced to put what they have just learned into practice as they realize the importance of working together to score points in the intra-squad competition.  The good thing about the way this point system works is that no one person gets the credit or glory if he surpasses his teammates. Therefore, it is important for every player on each team to motivate his teammates to perform at their maximum capacity.  As a result, there is a heavy emphasis on keeping each teammate accountable for their performance and pushing each other at all times.  This type of a dynamic promotes team chemistry, leadership skills, and loyalty.  Without consciously saying anything, this coaching technique in my opinion, builds a better team, as well as better people.

A Note to Parents

Today's blog was written by Austin Wuthrich. Austin is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching, a course taught by Play Like a Champion Today Director Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  Austin is a senior double major in sociology and computer applications, and is a right-wing on the Notre Dame Hockey team.

Dear Parents,

We know that you love your young athletes. This is a note of advice based on my experience as an athlete.  

Please do not ruin your kid’s relationship with you and with their sport by having unrealistic expectations.  

All parents want the best for their kid.  Parents want their children to achieve their full potential in whatever they are doing in life.  This is natural, and great.  However, there are certain ways to handle these expectations, hopes, and dreams for your kids and one of them is by being supportive and understanding of your child.  

Many parents want their kids to be the super-star, and some make it very clear that their kid is more important than another athlete.  As an athlete, I've found that these parents are difficult because they are always nagging the coaches or other athletes, which can cause a lot of drama that the team does not need.  Another result of this constant nagging is that children can begin to resent their parents if they are always yelling or trying to control the coach behind the scenes.  I've seen it happen too many times--from my days on pee wee hockey teams to elite national teams.

Parents need to have realistic expectations of what their young athlete’s capabilities are.  This idea of a son/daughter becoming the next superstar in their sport is such an exhilarating thought but it can permanently damage the relationship with the child in question.  This is for many reasons, but in my opinion it is mostly because the parent will never be satisfied with their child's performance and forget that they are just kids having fun.  Parents should be having fun watching their kid having fun and should be supportive of what their children are doing.  

Parents, please remember that athletes are often most vulnerable right after a game.  Therefore, the things that parents say to their athlete on the car ride home from a game can be remembered for a long time.  This is why parents must always remember that they are their child's support system and what they say and do can affect a kid’s future (athletic or otherwise) more than anything else.  Please remember that great memories for both parents and their little athletes can be made through their athletics, so make sure all those memories are positive by being supportive and realistic.  Finally, parents, please know that even though your young athletes don't always express their gratitude for this support, we are all very grateful for everything you do to help us along the way.

Austin Wuthrich on the ice.
Photo Credit 247 Sports, CBS.